Nearly 25% of NFL players had CTE at death — researchers say it's a low estimate

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A new study led by Boston-area researchers has set my media feeds abuzz with the finding that nearly 1 in 4 NFL players in their sample had CTE at time of death. CTE, or chronic traumatic encephalopathy, is a degenerative brain disease. It is caused by repeated concussions and smaller non-concussive hits.

As shocking as the 25% statistic is to many, the authors have suggested that this estimate is on the “low end,” with maximum possible prevalence around 98%. Although they take care to note that the findings of this study “cannot necessarily be generalized to the American football community,” and reporters dutifully report on this caution, the announcement of this new evidence has been treated in the media as a landmark event for the whole of football. In a statement reported by ESPN , the NFL Players Association remarked that “the findings should serve as a call to action across the entire football ecosystem.”

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